COLLECTIONS OF RELIGIOUS CEREMONIALS. 767 



Ne-.itto the contract a wedding ring of odd design in gold is shown. Against the 

 back of the first case is a veil of the Holy Ark, made in Padua, Italy, in 1736, of yellow 

 silk, richly embroidered in silver, gold, and silk, with the beginning of the ten com- 

 mandments IjeantifiiUy worked in gold. In the Holy Ark are kept the scrolls of the 

 law or the Pentateuch, written on parchment, for use in the services of the syna- 

 gogue. The Holy Ark, being the most important object in the synagogue, is richly 

 adorned, and whenever opened the congregation rises in reverence, for it contains 

 the Law of God. There is also another veil of blue silk elaborately decorated in gold. 

 In the same case are two interesting tapestries in green and white, supposed to 

 have been made in England in the thirteenth century. One represents the story of 

 David and Bathsheba and the other that of Uavid and Goliath. A kuilb and cup 

 used in the rite of circumcision are exhibited, and a number of amulets, or charms, 

 such as are still used and prized among the Eastern .Jews; cushions, heavily embroi- 

 dered in silver, used at the Passover meal ; prayer books in Dutch and Spanish, printed 

 at Amsterdam early in the eighteenth century, and a Jewish horn, or shofar, usually 

 made from a ram's horn and employed in the ceremonial on various solemn occa- 

 sions—notably New Year's Day, the first of the month of Tishri (September- Octo- 

 ber), and Atonement Day, 10th of Tishri. The long peculiar knife used for the 

 slaughter of animals is also seen. The killing of animals for food is performed by a 

 person especially trained and authorized. After the throat is cut the internal organs 

 are examined for traces of disease, and during each act short prayers are recited. 

 If there be a notch in the knife or trace of disease found, the animal is (terefa) unfit 

 to be eaten. 



Lamps used at the feast of Hanuka are another evidence of the elaborate cere- 

 monial of the Jewish religion. The lamps, eight in number, joined, are of ancient 

 Roman design. This feast is held in remembrauce of the rededicatiou of the temple 

 after its defilement by Antiochus Epipbaues, 169 B. C. Josephus records that it 

 was a feast of lights. The celebration lasted throughout eight days, on the first 

 night one light being lit, on the second two lights, etc. Examples of phylacteries, 

 or tefillin, are also shown as used by the Jews at morning prayers, except on Satur- 

 days. These objects are employed in the Jewish ritual in pursuance of the com- 

 mand that the word of God should be "a sign upon thy hand and for frontlets 

 between thy eyes." They consist of parchment cases containing the passages Deu- 

 teronomy vi, 4-0, and xi, 13-21, written on slips of parchment attached to leather 

 straps for binding on the forehead aud left arm. 



Next to the Jewisli articles comes a case containing a variety of articles explana- 

 tory of tlie form of worship in the Greek Church, of which the Czars of all the 

 Ku'ssias have since Peter the Great been the head. The full title of the Greek Church 

 is the Holy Oriental Orthodox Catholic Ai)ostolic Church. The title Holy Catholic 

 Apostolic, derived from the Nicene Creed, is also claimed by the Roman Church in 

 an exclusive sense. The numerical strength of the Greek Church is estimated at 

 about 80,000,000, being less than half as large as the Roman Catholic membership. 

 The doctrine of the Greek Church is substantially like the Romau, though the gov- 

 ernment is a patriarchal oligarchy, while the Roman is a papal monarchy. Perhaps 

 the most valuable relic in this collection is a Russian icon set in a gold frame studded 

 with pearls and precious stones. The lids are decorated with scenes from the lives 

 of Christ and Mary. The emeralds, ruby spinels, and garnets are all genuine and 

 very old, dating probably from the eleventh or twelfth century, if not earlier, as they 

 are all drilled and were evidently used for some other purpose before they were set 

 m the icon. This piece was bought at Nizhni Novgorod for Tiffany & Co. in 1891, 

 and IS said to be the finest icon in the United States. There are also several other 

 icons, one very interesting one showing painted figures of Cosmos and Damianus, 

 the two brothers who died as martyrs in the persecutions organized by the i:mperor 

 Diocletian between 303 and 311 A. D. A curious object is a gilded bronze crown 

 which atone time decorated an image in the demolished church of St. Anna, the 

 former nunnery in the old Post street of Prague. 



